Even Angels Fall
by Hearts of Eternity
Summary: Drawn from his home planet to chase a beckoning mystery, the Lord High Protector of Cybertron is left to face an entity that will leave him forever changed, sealing the fate of the world he once protected.
1. Chapter 1

Can you believe I've been working on this little piece of magic since forever? *sigh* It's been with me, haunting my laptop for the last eternity and a half, begging to be completed, but I've had no time to do so with schoolwork, plus _As We Come Together_, _Serendipity Kiss_, and _Surface of the Sun_ to work on. -_- Now that the school year is finally over (I still have two exams looming over my head, but I'm trying to look on the Brightside), I'll finally have time to finish _something._ Chapter 2 for this is already done, and chapter 3 is nearing completion. I hope, I hope, I hope this chapter will have a good reception so that there can be a speedy update!

**Warning**: The behaviours of some of the mechs (mainly Megatron and Starscream) may make your heads spin a little, so make sure your skull is firmly attached to the base of your neck. The characters will become more familiar by the end of the fic.

**Read and review as you please, my friends.^^**

**Even Angels Fall  
**_"By that sin fell the angels."_ –William Shakespeare

"Are you _sure_ about this?"

"Yes."

"Are you _really_ sure about this?"

"My answer hasn't changed in the last astrosecond since you asked me."

Optimus paused, watching his brother calculatingly. He waited a few extra astroseconds before quirking a smile and asking, "How about now?"

Sighing in exasperation, Megatron threw his arms in the air. "No!"

Huffing, the Prime backed down a step, watching the grey-plated mech with a pained look. "I don't see why you feel the need to personally see to this anomaly; you have duties here that are far more pressing, and, quite frankly, there are others in the research core who are better equipped and designed for missions like this."

Megatron snorted as he went through the final preparations for his long deep-space flight. "Hardly, Optimus. All anyone needs for a research mission is a good set of wings and a pair of thrusters to get you off the ground, both of which I have, if you haven't forgotten." Drones skittered about, checking and rechecking his energy reserves and flight stabilizers while he himself went through the normal routine of self-diagnostics.

"I haven't forgotten," the mech sighed. Megatron was rather proud of his jet alt mode and never ashamed to show it off whenever he got the chance, whether in outstripping new recruits in a race or rubbing it in his older brother's faceplate that he could fly and the Prime could not. "Though, I think I should point out that researchers usually have advanced informational retaining modules in their processors and an intelligence far above average, both of which you _lack_."

Megatron frowned, his jagged faceplate looking fearsome in the stark, cold sunlight of the chilled Cybertronian mid-morning. "_That_ was cruel," he stated flatly.

Optimus sighed, realizing he might have overstepped his boundaries. "I'm sorry, that was a bit much," he apologized, looking away to the busy horizon so as not to look into his brother's cool optics. "I am simply anxious over your departure. Logically I know there should be nothing to worry about-."

"Then stop being such a worrier-."

"But, that doesn't stop me from caring whether or not you get caught in a particle storm and left for scrap floating in some unnamed nebula. What would I do without you, should something happen?"

The Lord Protector barked a laugh, waving off the concern. "Where's your sense of adventure, Optimus?"

"Sitting safely in a cube next to my recharge berth," the Prime replied matter-of-factly.

Megatron rolled his optics. "You have a sense of humor and yet no adventure. Such a waste," he sighed exaggeratedly. "Keep it up and your paint will peel."

"You should be less concerned with my paint and more concerned for yourself, you thrill-seeking half-bit. I should order you to stay and see to your duties instead of allowing you to run off into space on some half-baked mission," Optimus admonished.

"You may be Prime, my dear brother, but your power is not absolute- I'd like to see you try and order me around."

"I am only concerned for your wellbeing."

"I'll be _fine_, Optimus," Megatron insisted, a slight bit of exasperation playing in his voice.

"Oh, are you quite sure about that?" Optimus pressed. "You are flying into unknown territory with little to no protection to survey an anomaly that simply appeared out of nowhere on deep space scans a few orns ago without any preliminary knowledge of its existence beforehand. We have no idea what it is, or even if it is something worth looking at in the first place, and yet you are going into the unknown to explore it with absolutely no idea what you are getting into."

"Which is why Starscream and I are going to check it out together; he has the experience, I trust his judgments, so I see no reason why we cannot go and assess the anomaly to see if it is worth researching further or not," Megatron replied.

Optimus shook his head, crossing his arms and fixing his stance. "And _why_ is it that _you_, the Lord High Protector of Cybertron, feel the need to accompany _Starscream_, the Grand Head Advisor of the Research Core, _personally_ on this mission? What profound bit of wisdom can you give to enlighten me to the mystery?"

The Lord Protector shrugged. "I can't tell you exactly, Optimus… I just feel drawn to it. Something's _calling_ me to fly out there- it's been bothering me for the longest time, and I want to find out what it is."

"Of all the ridiculous, self-indulgent reasons-." Optimus cut his own words off before he could say something truly indignant. Instead, he fixed his brother with a serious look. "You are the Lord High Protector of Cybertron and you are my brother; plenty could go wrong and I would have plenty to lose. And over such indulgent reasons, too."

Megatron stood swiftly to place his clawed hands on his brother's shoulders. "I was made the Lord Protector for a reason, Optimus, and it's not because I am you're brother," he assured. "I can defend myself if the need arises."

Optimus relented with a shake of his head. "I know that, of course."

"You needn't worry about me. This is just a routine flight, nothing new. I'm only following Starscream out because it's been so long since I've had any sort of adventure, and I need to know why I am being drawn to this. Let me do this one thing for myself just this once and I will never bother you again, if I can help it."

Optimus searched the clear, crystalline lenses of Megatron's optics and found only honest sincerity in them. He could find no further reason to object. "If I can't change your mind, then go."

"Thank you," Megatron said warmly, leaning in to brush his forehead to Optimus's.

Optimus did not resist, allowing for a bit of affection to show between them. "You and Starscream better return unharmed," he warned, "or so help me Primus, I'll throttle you."

Deep laughter rumbled in Megatron's chest as he offered Optimus one last hug. "Your wish is my command, my Prime. Starscream and I will come back in full operating condition, or you can send us to the scrap heap personally." Backing off a step, he glanced towards the Prime Protectorate, who stood nonchalantly to the side, apparently doing his best to ignore the proceedings. "Think you can keep all my Autobots in line while I'm gone?" Megatron asked, optic ridge raised.

Ironhide huffed, crossing his thick arms across his massive chest. "I'll be running them through so many drills, they'll be begging for you to come back."

"That's the spirit," the Lord Protector joked, reaching out to pat the other mech on the shoulder. "Thanks for agreeing to step in for me."

"It's no trouble," Ironhide shrugged. He was the Prime Directorate Advisor after all- what good was he to the Prime if he couldn't even handle the ranks of the Autobots?

Optimus peered out at the clear sky stretching above the main launching pad of the High Spires of the Council Pantheon in Iacon. "If you're going to be leaving at all today, you might want to leave soon- I heard that there's a front of sulfurous clouds coming in from the east. I don't want you caught in a sulfuric downpour."

"We'll be a long ways away from the atmosphere before any type of storm hits. Besides, my armor's thick enough to handle a little acid." Megatron assured.

"I still worry," Optimus sighed.

Heavy claws rested on the Prime's shoulder, Megatron's optics warm as they stared into his brother's deep, slightly clouded gaze. "Save the sentimentalities for when I'm dead," he teased. "Right now, just be glad I'm going to be out from under your feet for the next couple of orns. This is a routine flight and I'm going out with an experienced Seeker as a guide. _Nothing_ will happen. Repeat after me; _nothing will happen_."

"Yes, yes, nothing will happen," Optimus laughed quietly, shaking his head. "I shouldn't doubt you're abilities; I'm sure you're right about this."

"I'm _always_ right, which is why Cybertron is in such a good state right now," Megatron replied, laughing as well. With Optimus minutely soothed of his worries, the towering Lord Protector glanced over to see if his fellow traveler was ready to launch.

Unfortunately, Starscream was encountering a similar form of resistance.

"You have reports to finish, Starscream!"

The Seeker snorted. "They can wait."

Jetfire glared down stubbornly at his friend in exasperation, his arms outstretched to the heavens as if divine strength could come down and strike him with the ability to deal with his advisor and friend. "They certainly cannot! They're due tomorrow!"

"I'm well aware of that. They're all written up and lying on my desk in the labs; all that needs to be done for them is to be dated and transmitted to the right bots." Starscream tilted his head upwards in that haughtily expectant way he liked to use. "You can see to that, can't you?"

Jetfire's mouthplates pursed. "I can, but that doesn't mean I will. I have my own responsibilities to see too."

"Come now, it'll take less than a breem to transmit all of the reports, and I know you have all the right transmission coordinates filed away somewhere. I'm sure you can fit that into your busy schedule while I'm gone." With the famously sharp optics he'd been built with, Starscream was more than capable to spotting the moment his friend began to weaken. Jetfire's shoulders drooped, the plating about his upper torso tucking in ever so slightly. It had taken vorns for Starscream to spot the pattern, but now that he knew what to look for, he wasn't against exploiting it.

"Even if I were to do that for you, what of the presentations you're scheduled to do at research cores in Polyhex, Kaon, and Straxsis?" Jetfire asked, crossing his large arms in agitation. "Am I to suppose you simply _forgot_ about them, as well?"

Starscream canted his head, adopting a thoughtful expression as he accessed his memory banks. He checked briefly, and then got a rather amused expression on his faceplate. "Ah, no, not forgot per say."

"Then what brilliant excuse do you have for me?"

"I didn't bother to mark them down on my internal calendar, that's all."

"Starsream!" Jetfire groaned in exasperation, but was waved off with a completely dismissive gesture.

"You know how I'm like, old friend," Starscream said on an airy sigh. "Those presentations simply were not important enough to warrant my interest for so long. You'll just have to stand in for me while I'm gone." He looked Jetfire up and down in mock-contemplation. "Of course, you're not as attractive as myself, but the audience will have to deal with the disappointment."

"Your vanity is only surpassed by your irresponsibility," the red-and-white scientist stated flatly. "If you think for even a moment that I am going to allow myself to be swindled into standing in for you _again_-."

Instantly, Starscream huffed, looked ruffled. "I take offense to that. When have I ever swindled you into doing something you haven't wanted to do?"

The answer was instant. "A few orns ago when you made me _lie_ to the Research Advisory Board about why the di-lithium-based stellar warp drive calculations were not ready; I told them there were delays due to the unstable nature of the element, causing our estimates to go askew, when in reality you had dropped the project to pursue your own personal agendas."

Unconcerned, the accusation was waved aside. "I'll have you know, the project I was working on was far more important than calculating the logistics of some new warp engine. I bet you can't name any more instances."

Jetfire was more than happy to recount several more instances of being swindled into things. After the second or third one was rattled off, he started to question his own intelligence. There were only so many times someone of such high-ranking intellect could be tricked into doing things this often without wondering if their high-ranking intellect was faltering.

"What's a few trivial matters between friends?" the seeker chuckled, ever weaseling.

"You are being unreasonable," Jetfire sighed, almost pouting.

"Haven't you ever thought that perhaps you are being the unreasonable one? All I am asking is a few simple favours from a friend."

"Your manner of favours have a way of coming back to bite me in the aft."

"They do _not_. Things just don't always go according to plan, that's all. You know my work well enough, do you not?" Starscream insisted.

"Well, yes-."

"Then I trust you not to make a fool of me."

"I _should_ do that just to teach you a lesson."

Starscream laughed, yet again waving away the concerns and threats. He had heard enough of them from his long-time friend to know they meant little. "You wouldn't dare. You care about the research core a far greater deal than I. You'd never risk sullying our reputation. _Plus_, you worship the ground I walk on."

Jetfire rolled his optics. "Only in an alternate universe."

When Starscream pretended not to have heard, carrying on with his preparations for flight, Jetfire grumbled obstinately. The entire research core was breathing down his neck column to convince one of their most influential scientists to stay for the time being. Starscream, of course, was going to hear none of it. As always, he was going to do what interested him most, which was not meeting any of the deadlines.

"If I bow to your ego and say the core will fall apart without you, will you stay?" Jetfire asked.

"As much as I know that's true, I'm afraid there's no stopping me," Starscream replied, clearly enjoying the opportunity to rankle someone so early in the orn. "I'm the one who found the anomaly and I'm going to be the one to check it out. I'm not leaving it to any second rate researcher or worse yet, some mindless _drone_."

"And you know how much this entire exchange is going to give me a headache later on, right?"

"Oh yes, which is half the fun." He signaled for a drone to come inspect his thruster alignment when he detected a slight offset. Jetfire waved the drone off, kneeling to see to the problem himself. Drones were fine and all, but a delicate task like thruster alignment required a more sentient touch.

"One of these orns, that attitude of yours is going to get you into more trouble than you can talk yourself out of," he chided as his large hands moved from Starscream's thrusters to flight stabilizers.

"I hardly think I'm going to encounter any kind of trouble like that on an expedition like this."

"So you say."

"I'm _designed_ for this sort of thing, just as much as you or any other Seeker is. I've handled far worse in the past." He blew a long whoosh of air out his vents, sweeping against Jetfire's faceplate. "And besides, even if I do suddenly find myself in a situation I can't talk my way out of, I have the firepower to back me up." And as unconcerned as could be, he motioned to the heavily armed Lord High Protector.

"While I'm sure you're confidence in Lord Megatron is a stroke to his ego, there is no accounting for the irresponsibility of you two simply flouncing off into space like this. It is not a new thing for you to disregard every responsibility you hold in the research core to feed your own interests, but for the Lord Protector to do so as well… I just don't know what's gotten into the two of you!" Finally done with the realignments, Jetfire backed up, and then straightened to his full height, casting a long shadow along the length of the launching pad.

"Don't think of it as irresponsibility, then," Starscream countered. "Think of it as an opportunity for exploration, one that I am not willing to pass up." He turned away, hailing to Megatron with a wave.

"Are you ready to launch, my lord?" he called.

With one last nod to Optimus, Megatron turned to the Seeker and awarded him with a broad smile. "Yes. All systems are go."

"Then let's get out of here before we lose these good atmospheric conditions."

"Very well, let's be on our way." They transformed in unison, Starscream's sleek Seeker alt mode dwarfed in comparison to the imposing form of the heavily armored Lord Protector, whose jet alt mode was more like a tank with wings than a carefully calibrated scientific research instrument.

"Watch each other's backs, will you?" Optimus called as the pair steadying themselves and aligned their trajectory to take off into the atmosphere.

"Wouldn't dream of doing anything else, Optimus. We'll be back before you know it."

And then they were off into the atmosphere.


	2. Chapter 2

Seeing as I've been having wayyyy too much fun writing for the last few days, I think I'm going to post this chapter for kicks. It may be a little too soon, since I just posted the first chapter a day or two ago, but life has been so upbeat lately that I really just want to keep riding the wave. I do hope with all my heart that everyone enjoys the chapter. Leave a review if you feel so inclined. :)

**Silveriss**- Thanks so much! The dialogue was so much fun to write; Megatron's and Starscream's past selves are strangely easy to write for.^^

**Blood-tempest**- Jetfire may get suckered into a lot of things, but he's been friends with Starscream for a long time, so I think he's used to it. xD

**Enigma101**- I think a lot of people tend to forget Megatron and Starscream were not always who they are now; I just wanted to put my own twist to the origins of who they are now. I've never read the Defiance prequel, so I'll take your word for it.

**Lecidre**- Oh my goodness! With that review alone, this whole story gets dedicated to you, hon! You completely blew me away with all that enthusiasm! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the beginning of this story- hopefully I'll be able to keep your interest.^^ Things are about to heat up for our dear Megatron and Starscream. xD

**Stripperella**- My goodness, it's great to hear you think Starscream is in character! He was actually a lot of fun to write for in the last chapter. xD As for it being Starscream's fault for what becomes of Megatron... you'll have to find out. ;)

**Read and review as you please, my friends.^^**

**Even Angels Fall  
****Chapter 2  
**"_Better the devil you know than the angel you don't." _–Hama Tuma

Several orns on the move had left Megatron to contemplate many things.

Some were trivial matters, like what state Ironhide was going to have his Autobots in when he returned, or how incredibly bloated Starscream's ego seemed to be. He tried to focus on those thoughts the most. When he let his mind wander, he drifted to thoughts that were not quite so pleasant, like the fact that he had the distinct feeling that he wasn't just flying towards something, but that something was pulling him in that direction. Though he was loath to admit it, especially to his current company, it felt as if a giant unseen hook had pierced through his plating, dug into his innards, and was now reeling him in. The pain was almost tangible.

"My lord, you need to correct your position by two degrees."

"Thank you, Starscream." Doing so mindlessly, the hook dug deeper and dragged him on.

He felt the gaze of the one reeling him in sliding along his armour, appraising him. Space's frigid vacuum was nothing compared to the ice that seeped into his spark as invisible optics caressed him intimately, tracing his frame in perverse mockery of a lover's touch. Starscream, thankfully too caught up in his own musings, failed to notice when his companion shuddered.

The weight of being watched was not enough to make Megatron stop, only waver.

This wasn't new to him. He was as familiar with this overpowering, relentless glare as he was with his own brother. For as long as he could remember, _it_, whatever it was, had been watching. No one else ever felt the frigid claws trace along their backs, never knew of the icy gaze that loomed unseen from the shadows, and because no one else had a clue, Megatron never told. Who would believe him? There were no such things as ghosts or monsters; they were only in stories to scare younglings. Only, as a youngling, the monster that hid beneath the berth had been real, only he couldn't see it. He could _feel_ it, which was a thousand times worse. It never left when he reformatted into his first adult frame, nor the second, or the third. Always at his shoulder, an icy touch that froze him from the inside out; he was never without it. The one thing the Lord High Protector could not fight against.

It was not something one ever grew any less terrified of, but Megatron had done well to learn how to mask the fear. He had vorns of practise.

That practise served well now, when in the middle of nowhere, galaxies away from Cybertron, Megatron remained stoic as his spectre laughed and howled and dragged him on. It tugged on him like some frozen-fingered ghost. The kiss of claws was near-palpable against his wings. Familiarity with the beast had long since taught Megatron the moods of his wraith. What it felt now was a twisted joy. It was finally getting what it wanted: _Him_.

And Megatron was helpless to deny it.

The closer he and Starscream came to the unknown phenomenon, the stronger the pull, the darker the presence. He was the puppet trapped in his strings. If he kept moving, kept flying, he knew he was finally going to come faceplate to faceplate with the entity pulling his strings.

What the mech wouldn't give for a distraction from the tortures of his mind. Both Megatron and Starscream were too proud to be the first to open a comms channel to prompt an actual conversation. The whole first orn they'd been in space was spent in silence because they had waited for the other to speak first; it was not until they checked into a space station for rest and fuel that they spoke again. They were both stubborn to a fault, which did not work well in Megatron's favour. It was obvious how eager Starscream was to start talking about something, most likely himself, but he was waiting on the Lord Protector to break the ice. With silence and malevolent ghosts crowding in on all sides, Megatron finally bowed to the need for something to distract him.

"How is our ETA looking?" he asked. It was a relatively neutral question, one that wouldn't make him look like he was too eager for conversation, but all the same open up a venue for more.

Starscream paused, playing the same game Megatron was. He made himself look as if he were reviewing his star charts, when, in truth, he knew exactly where they where and how much longer until they reached the event horizon of their target. When he was sure he wasn't about to look too eager himself, he answered, "We're right on schedule, my lord.

"Good to hear," Megatron replied warmly. He could practically sense how much effort it was costing the Seeker to reign himself in while in the presence of a superior.

"We should be approaching the anomaly within a few short joors if we maintain our flight path and current speed," Starscream moderated carefully.

"Ah, it won't be long at all until we get there, then. I was beginning to fear that you might have gotten us lost somewhere- some of these constellations look awfully familiar..."

Starscream offered a superior snort. "Are you accusing me of being lost? Surely you're joking."

"Only a little bit," Megatron laughed. "I read your file before we launched; you have quite the resume of space flights. I have every confidence that you'll get us to where we're going."

"I'm honoured by the indulgence, my lord," Starscream replied graciously, quick to let go of the minor prick to his pride. Even with a slight distance between them, Megatron could see the Seeker puffing up in response to having his ego stroked. "I've been on more expeditions in my life time than anyone else in the research core. I assure you, I know space like I know my own frame."

Impressed, and more than a little amused, Megatron decided to press on for the sake of the distraction. "Indeed? Then am I to believe that you know unexplored space just as well, or will our destination prove a challenge for you?"

"Space is space, Lord Megatron; it's the same where you go: _empty_. What's more important is what is in the space, which is the basis of this preliminary research mission we're on. Discovering what is there is more important than knowing what isn't."

"You're a clever mech, aren't you?" Megatron asked amusedly.

Starscream gave the equivalent of a jet-shrug, tipping slightly to the left. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't have made it to my current function, now would I?"

"No, I don't suppose you would have. You've been an excellent Advisor for the Iacon research core ever since you were elected- Optimus has been very impressed by the progresses you've made."

The subtle flattery did wonders for the Seeker, primly picking up his nosecone, flicking out his flight stabilizers, and generally making himself look more important. "It's an honour to know the Prime, of all mechs, has had an interest in my work. Perhaps if he were so inclined, he could allot greater funding to my research endeavours; with more resources at my disposal, I'm sure I would be able to carry Cybertron on into a revolution of new scientific discoveries."

Deep, rumbling laughter reverberated through Megatron's alt mode. "Not only are you a clever mech, you're dreadfully ambitious, too."

"There is no shame in that," Starscream said, clearly shameless.

"No, there isn't. The Council is going to have to watch their backs for you."

It was Starscream's turn to laugh, high-pitched and a little screechy. "I'll admit I'm ambitious, but certainly no backstabber. The research core is my domain."

"If you ever tire of it, I could always use someone like you to help invigorate military research and development. You would make an interesting Autobot, to say the least. We would be a force to be reckoned with."

"An interesting proposition, my lord; I will certainly have to consider it." In truth, Starscream was doing mental-backflips over the idea of being under the Lord Protector's wing. All that power at his fingertips! The possibilities were endless!

After another slight course adjustment, they fell into another rut of silence. Had they been in bipedal mode, Megatron would have been shifting on his feet from the extreme glacial pressure bearing down on him. Thankfully, now that Starscream had had a taste of talking with the Lord Protector and found himself on par with the mech, he was far less adverse to starting up conversations on his own volition. He pulled back in order to come alongside Megatron's larger form.

"Pardon me for saying this, my lord, but I'm surprised at how well you have been keeping up. I had calculated we would have had to stop at several more space stations to compensate for your size and energy drain."

Megatron took a moment to consider, and then conceded. "True, I'm not Seeker standard design as yourself, and I'm a little heavier than a civilian aerial design, but I am rather proud of the model frame I have. I can keep up with the best of them."

"I would have thought the extra armaments added to your frame would slow you down, or at least drain on your energy reserves faster, but it seems that's not that case," the Seeker observed curiously.

"When I first was appointed as Lord Protector, I knew I wanted to keep a flight capable frame, but the extra weight of the armaments would have been a drain on my reserves, so I had several extra energy cells and an secondary energon reservoir placed in the frame, as well as an inner-frame subspace pocket to displace some of the extra weight. So far the design has been working well for me, and holds up magnificently in battle. I was wary of having the subspace pocket built in- you hear stories about how those things can go awry-."

"Urban legend," Starscream said with a distinct rolling-his-optics tone. "Show me a definitive report of some bot getting sucked into their own subspace pocket."

"Even if it is just an urban legend, I would rather not be the mech to prove it true. Can you imagine the media after something like that? _'Lord High Protector of Cybertron sucked into subspace pocket. Removal pending.'" _They both chuckled. Megatron found himself relatively soothed by the light-sparked conversation. "Thank Primus nothing has happened to me yet."

"I doubt anything will happen to you in the future; when inner-frame pockets were first introduced, there were safety precautions put in place to ensure they didn't collapse. I know for a fact that my cohort Jetfire has several inner-frame pockets, and he's never had a mishap with them" Starscream said.

"I have no doubt a mech like Jetfire knows how to handle a couple subspace pockets. You'll have to excuse my concerns- I'm only mortal, and even Lord Protectors have quirks." After a moment, he added, "I would appreciate it if you don't let that leak to the media, though. They'd have a field day."

"Your secret is safe with me, my lord." Starscream waited a beat, and then asked, "Who was the engineer who built your frame? Your design _is_ rather unusual."

"It was the same mech who designed Optimus's frame when he was ready to take over the position of Prime after Sentinel." It took a moment to look up the designation in his directory- it was simple, but one that could be forgotten easily. "A3, I believe he called himself."

"Strange, I've never heard of him before."

"He's not well known, I don't think."

"For someone to have built both the Prime's and the Lord Protector's frames, you would think he would have some renown to his designation."

"Not all mechs are inclined to power and fame, my friend," Megatron said. Starscream offered a stubborn sniff to let him know his thoughts on the matter. With the distinct urge to roll his optics at the mech, Megatron carried on. "He may simply be a private mech- one of those nomads you hear about who simply work a job, get paid, and move on. Primus knows we have enough of them travelling the colonies."

"And someone like that is given the honour of building the Prime and Lord Protector's frames? I can think of a dozen different engineers, all with reputable labs and recommendations, who would be more than willing to take the job."

"And break an age old tradition? Oh no, as I've heard it, A3 was the one who built Sentinel Prime's frame, and Guardian Prime's frame before him, and even the Prime's frame before that. Why mess with tradition?"

"Maybe because the mech building these frames sounds like he's older than Cybertron itself- he's bound to screw up sometime." Starscream's distaste for such a tradition was clear in his voice; his frame visibly shuddered.

"Such a pessimist," Megatron admonished. "As you can see, he did a marvellous job designing my frame, and Optimus's isn't half bad either. There has never been any mishap with either of our frames, nor with any past Prime's or Lord Protector's."

"I'll concede to the fact, but who knows what will come of it in the future? It just seems highly suspect to me to allow something like this, especially when it involves two of the most important mechs on the planet."

"Thank you for the concern. I'm touched," Megatron intoned wryly.

"I simply wouldn't dare have some nameless mech working on my frame, and I can't understand how anyone could." As the mech seemed prone to, Starscream made another prim noise before falling into silence to recheck where they were on their flight path.

Megatron sighed amusedly and allowed himself to drift in the Seeker's wake.

As before, but now with greater pending darkness, the thing that watched him loomed. If he didn't focus quite so sharply on the space ahead of him, he was almost prone to think the velvet blackness was _moving_. Like a ripple in a transparent curtain. A great and terrible entity whose presence was larger and more threatening now than it ever had been. So close now, closer than it's ever been; it was curling its long poisoned claws as a summons, beckoning with invisible, venomous intention. Pulling him towards some Primus-forsaken fate.

"Lord Megatron? You're drifting, sir."

The unusual pitch to Starscream's voice, higher pitched than what was normal for a mech, snapped Megatron from his sudden trace.

"Huh- what?"

"My lord, you're drifting," Starscream intoned once more, this time circling around to fly over top of the silver jet. Matching the Lord Protector's pace, he scanned in the general vicinity ahead of them and found nothing amiss within sensor range. "Is everything alright?"

Perturbed, Megatron was silent for a moment, focusing exclusively on the barely-visible disturbance he was sure was there, making the stars waver ever so slightly. Starscream remained above him, still scanning, still trying to figure out what was so interesting in his direction of space.

"Do you get the feeling we are being watched?" Megatron broached unsurely, warily.

"No. What a ridiculous question- we're the only ones out here."

"Are you quite sure about that?"

"With all due respect, _Megatron-_," he dropped the title for emphasis, "-my sensors are far more sophisticated than yours, calibrated to register even the most minute detail in space, and I'm sure if there was something out there, I would know of it. I understand it's been awhile since you've been off Cybertron, so perhaps space is simply playing tricks on your processor. It's been known to happen." He glided to the side, gently nudging his companion in the right direction. "Come, we must get back on the flight path."

Despite the endless cold vacuum of space, it suddenly became a thousand times more glacial. Whatever was beckoning Megatron forth did _not_ like the interruption.

Awareness prickled the length and breadth of the Seeker's frame. "What is that?" he hissed, becoming instantly, brutally, terrifyingly aware of the rippling in space, stretching for as far as their visual range would stretch.

Megatron stilled, unable to move. "Proof that we're not alone." It was proof that he hadn't been alone for a very long time.

Without warning, space suddenly split. As if a curtain was being drawn aside, a great blackness was revealed- a great, solid, icy blackness. They tried to reverse, tried to move away, but were trapped. Frozen. Something held them to the spot. A gaze settled on their backs like a physical weight; heavy, indecipherable, _interested_. It took the Seeker and Lord Protector an astrosecond to realize they weren't staring at a black hole. It was ship. A gigantic, silent monolith of a ship, bigger than anything they had ever seen. Around it, the stars appeared to twist in chaos, the void of space slowly being filled with tangible malevolence.

This was like nothing Starscream had ever experienced before. Sure, he had come upon abandoned ships before- alien things set adrift on cosmic currents, gutted by pirates and scavengers, but never had a ship appeared out of _nowhere_. Literally nowhere. One astrosecond, there was nothing on sensors, and then suddenly every piece of sensory equipment he had on him was screaming. A deep, primal, sickening fear erupted in his spark, gripping hold of him in an icy vice. The unknown did not normally frighten him, yet somehow the very presence of his ship drew forth an instinctual fear from him that went deeper than just the subconscious. Instinctual fear from the spark.

Along the hull, curling in ancient Cybertronian, was the designation _Psi. _

Transfixed to the sight, Megatron nearly shot Starscream out of surprise when he slapped him hard with a wing.

"We have to get out of here," he urged, attempting to shove the larger jet. Panic laced his voice.

The spectral ship, the _thing_, didn't seem to like that. One moment, it was a great wall of solid darkness, and the next it was on _fire_. Heatless flame that blazed in fury; every inch of it was roaring in a silent inferno. Bright spectral tendrils of emblazoned, astral flame licked at space and seemed to leave it singed. Megatron and Starscream were left to the mercies of the fire, feeling as if their sparks were captured by the blaze. Their senses felt burned by the flames, even without being touched. They submitted to the power, powering down their thrusters.

And as quickly as the ship appeared, it was gone.

Visually it was gone, but it still loomed in the unseen. It still watched them. The silence in its wake was deafening.

Starscream was the first to react, shrinking into himself, cowering behind Megatron's superior form. "What- what _was_ that thing?"

It was a needless question. They both knew the answer. There was only one monster in Cybertronian legend that had fallen so far the fires of the pit followed him wherever he went.

For the Seeker's sanity, Megatron shook off his own shock, transforming in order to lay a comforting claw to Starscream's nosecone. "Don't think about it. Whatever you do, don't think about it... We have to keep moving."

"Moving where, exactly?"

"I think it wants us to go this way." He knew it as he knew his own spark, the one who wanted him laid in the direction he was being dragged. Their flaming companion was just making sure they got there.

"Are you _insane_?! We should turn back-!"

"I don't think we have a choice in the matter."

"I can't permit this! We are both rational, logical beings, and we both know if we continue to follow this path, it will lead to our deaths! You must turn back now for both our sakes! Don't risk both our lives!" If Megatron left, he would have to follow. There was no way he could return to Cybertron without the mech. Too many questions. Too many suspicions.

"I'm not turning back." As he said, he had no choice in the matter; he hadn't had a choice since he was a sparkling afraid of the real monsters beneath his berth.

Starscream sagged, knowing there was no escape. Resigned to his fate, he tipped his alt mode forward in submission to the mech. "Very well. Lead the way, my lord."


	3. Chapter 3

End of the school year celebrations, anyone?^^ My last exam was last night and I am over the moon to finally be free from the academic hell that is university. Don't get me wrong, the halls of higher learning are nice, but a break from them is much needed. In celebration of my freedom, I give you the last chapter of _Even Angels Fall_. It was a little mind-bending to get this chapter completed... picked my brain over and over trying to get everything just right, and then I had to re-watch the 1986 TF movie just to hear Orson Welles brilliant performance, which helped greatly to get me into the right mindset. I actually had a little grin on my face as I finished the chapter- the last line is a double entendre that I couldn't help but insert, and I'll be curious to know if anyone else gets a kick out of it.^^

**And now for Thank You Corner! :)**

**Ri2**- Indeed, it was the Fallen.

**Shadir**- Thanks, I was going for a supernatural spin.

**Shimmershadow30**- Thanks^^

**Balrog Roike**- Yes, one riddle solved, but this is story is just one small piece of a very large puzzle. There will always be other riddles to solve.

**Sckid**- Being in control is such a relative thing; murderers often claim insanity for the things they do so their actions were beyond their control, when, in truth, they were very much in control. Those we think in control of themselves, like CEOs of companies, are some of the least in control of their lives, especially in these economic times.^^; I'm glad I could intrigue you with the web I'm weaving.

**Bluebird Soaring**- lol~ I've had this fic in the works for such a long time; there was no other title I could possibly use. Megatron, at least this Megatron I've been using for WE, is the perfect fallen angel. I love writing for him in _Surface of the Sun_ because of his sweet nature, but like all things, even that will come to an end. Poor mech~

**Stripperella**- How very astute of you to put those two together! Now wouldn't it be terrible interesting if the two ended up being connected? Thanks for pointing out where started nibbling on my writing. It's a pain when that happens.

**Violetlight**- They're moving slower than light speeds, but certainly faster than anything our primitive technology has come up with for travel so far. They're as fast as they need to be, and if they needed to go faster, they would have taken a ship.^^

**Silveriss**- Ahhhhh, my dear, didn't you know? Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. ;P As much as we like to think otherwise, even Megatron is only mortal, subject to the same curiosities for the dangerous and unknown... It's only in hindsight that we see which curiosities kill the cat and keep it dead.

**Read and review as you please, my friends.^^**

**Even Angels Fall  
****Chapter 3  
**"_**Calvin**__: Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man? __**Hobbes**__: I'm not sure that man needs the help." _–Calvin and Hobbes comic  
~

Everything about the region of space they flew in was _wrong_.

Starscream, so fixated on the realities of what he could see, hear, touch, and scientifically quantify, knew everything was wrong because the very fundamentals of this region were wrong. One moment, the universe made sense, and the next, it didn't. If he were to believe what his scanners were telling him, then he was flying in _negative space_. Literally, a pocket of space composed of antimatter. Negatively charged protons; positively charged electrons: the fundamental antithesis of all matter in the known universe. There should have been massive reactions everywhere as matter and antimatter collided; energy output off the charts; it should have been scorching hot, and inferno, but it was cold. Impossibly cold, self-contained, as if something were holding everything together.

"Whatever you do, do not collide with an antimatter particle or we'll both be annihilated."

Megatron heard the warning, rumbling darkly in reply. His universe was not so narrow as Starscream's, and he could see a great deal more than what the Seeker's scans could reveal. "We won't."

"Don't be so careless! This is the largest deposit of stable antimatter ever recorded; one wrong move will start a chain reaction that will incinerate us both."

A sliver of annoyance lashed through Megatron, finding his companion's utter ignorance to what was right in front of him aggravating. The only reason this place appeared to be made of antimatter to Starscream was because he couldn't handle the truth; he only saw what he was willing to understand. Deluded fool. "Nothing will happen."

"Have your sensors gone on the fritz? We should reverse out of here this instant before we kill ourselves!"

"It's _not_ antimatter."

"Then what in the name of Primus do you want to call it?"

Megatron froze, feeling the enraged shift in space as something great and terrible roared silently. It did_ not_ like that name being called. And judging by the brief ripple in space not far to their right, their flaming companion did not like it either.

"Starscream, mute it, you fool. If you bothered to open your optics, you'd see it's not antimatter- it's something else." The growling quality his voice took on was beastlike, frightening enough to scare Starscream into silence. They were in negative space- that part was true, but it wasn't the antimatter that made it that way. The antimatter was _attracted_ to the negativity of the core holding it all together.

It was the negative core that called to him. With long, invisible claws, it beckoned in seducing caresses to his mind, his spark. He was both repulsed and attracted at the same time. His spark seized in the frigid cold, tightening in his spark chamber like it was trapped in the grip of a monster, but something else deep within him pulled towards the darkness. He was disgusted and in awe to find himself attracted to the power radiating through the blackness. The deeper he flew, the more negative the space became- not in charge, but in essence. He felt the malevolence as if it were a congealing tar growing thicker as he cut through it, sticking to his hull, seeping into his frame. And all the while, the relentless glare of unseen eyes loomed from all sides, weighing heavily, appraising him with poisonous glee. If, at any moment, his thoughts were to stray, he would have been crushed under the immense concentration of pure, malignant delight that wrapped around him like a lead blanket filled with thorns.

Something started to shift inside him. No, not shift... give in. Megatron felt his own defences start to collapse; after a life time of holding out against his omnipresent spectre, being in the lair of the beast was enough to finally let go. He was tire of being scared. He had no fear left in- it was gone, used up, dried out. All that was left was the insatiable drag forward, a deep, cold hook wrenching on his innards. There was a drive in everyone's sparks to be curious of the unknown, fascinated by the dark, but Megatron had always fought against it, hidden it, locked that curiosity away, because he knew what lurked in the darkness was real, and it was dangerous. And now...Now he didn't want to resist. He was tired of resisting. That buried, hidden part of himself that _wanted_ this was finally free to crawl out, stretch, and grin.

As if in response to Megatron's long awaited surrender, the stars around them grew dimmer, more distant. Space turned so frigid their frames went numb to their sparks. The darkness grew deeper, became _sentient_. It was sensuous, slick like oil. A single terrible entity was everywhere around them. The darkness between the stars twisted, suddenly solid, alive- even Starscream could see it now. One by one, the stars were swallowed, the glacial touch of hope seeping away settled into them, and finally they were trapped. There was no turning back.

A grey, dead light was coming from somewhere. No light source, no shadows; the light simply existed, cold and austere. In the dimness, a jagged shape came into their vision, to their right a great distance away. A dead planet, shattered, chunks of it floating frozen in time. A broken moon hung lifelessly next to the planet, cracked to its core, left stationary in its timeless grave.

Several more planets passed them by too quickly, all too close to be natural, all dead, all shattered. Ships of all kinds hung suspended in time, passing them by in a blur; ships of all sizes, from all planets. None of them burned with the flames of the pit, but some were just as perverse. Some ships were inverted, turned inside out by some godless force, their guts spilling endlessly into space. A few were charred blacker than black. Metal lay rusted, twisted. Unnatural.

A meteor field they passed was on fire, the same heatless blaze of the fallen ghost ship. They didn't dare look to hard into the flames, because they found if they did, there were things that stared back from the flickering depths.

Soon enough, in the blink of an optic, they were where they were supposed to be.

Deep, deeper than one could imagine, Megatron knew where they were. Around him, within him, every fibre of his being resonated to the malignant energy thrumming invisibly around him. He was supposed to be here. There was power here, a greatness that no spoken word could ever describe, a darkness so deep no spark would shine from within.

Darkness from the darkness formed; a shapeless mass that congealed like globs of spilled energon, blacker than black, not solid, but not mist nor liquid either. It was indefinable from the space around it, and yet it was there, you felt it more than saw it, watching, laughing.

"This is absolutely impossible...pure madness." Starscream jumped at the sound of his own voice, higher pitched than normal, borderline panicked.

_**SILENCE!**_

The Seeker recoiled instantly with a shriek. From everywhere and nowhere, a voice unlike anything he had ever heard before rang with perfect clarity. It was deep, deafening- a slow, grating voice that made time and space tremble. It was the voice of something gigantic. _Planet-sized_. And it didn't like Starscream at all.

_**BE GONE.**_

A roll like thunder roared, a pulse of power striking Starscream and sending his vibrantly red frame spiralling away.

Megatron remained unscathed, sitting motionless. Concern for his companion tempted him to turn, to at least hail him to make sure he was alright, but concerned waned when his designation was called. Ancient power rolled, churned, calling him, and every other thought dissolved.

_**MEGATRON.**_

Heat filled him. A churning, roiling heat that erupted deep inside him, like a lover's touch in his most intimate places. The numbness of his frame melted to a simmering liquid life in his energon line, squirming and rousing him. Even if he hadn't known it, this was the voice he had been waiting to hear all his life. His entire life had been leading up to this moment.

When he had no words to speak, the voice came again, shaking the fundamentals of reality. It called to the deepest side of him, the hidden, twisted parts he pretended all his life didn't exist.

_**LORD HIGH PROTECTOR MEGATRON.**_

The mentioning of his full title gave him strength, reminding him of who he truly was- one of the most powerful mechs on the planet Cybertron, not some cowering bot so easily overpowered by the presence of something so huge. He was not going to appear weak to anyone, especially to this thing. Transforming, he straightened to his full height and faced the darkness head on. "I am Lord High Protector Megatron."

There was no answer, but satisfaction oozed in tangible waves.

"_What_ are you?"

Again, no answer. Megatron adopted a rigid stance, armour shifting to along his frame to make him look even more imposing. A move such as that would have easily intimidated any Cybertronian, but amusement was the only thing he seemed capable of eliciting from his audience now. It was irksome, indulgent, condescending amusement, like a Caretaker to a youngling showing off.

"_Who_ are you?"

Finally, a question worth answering.

_**I AM UNICRON.**_

Those three little words ignited a fire that burned from within him, charring him from the inside out.

"_Unicron_."

The name alone left scorch marks on his vocal processor. The depth and breadth of the name made his audio receptors ring. He was not surprised. In fact, to his amazement, he was a little relieved to finally know for sure what manner of pit-spawn had leeched off his nightmares for the majority of his life. He was graced with the presence of the Unmaker himself. After eons of being just a story annexed to the realm of forgotten pasts, this was confirmation that one of Cybertron's most fantastical, horrible monsters of legend was _real_.

Strangely, in a twisted sort of way, it was an honour to finally meet him.

Somewhere is the background, a pitiful whimper wavered. Starscream's world, unlike Megatron's, was slowly crumbling around him. His world had always been so ordered, where the laws of all scientific disciplines applied and were adhered to; there was a strict line been what was real and what was ridiculous fantasy, and that line was never to be crossed. And now... Not so much.

Megatron paid little heed to the Seeker. Perhaps if he were in his right mind, he would have given a slag about him, but with such overwhelming ancient power bearing down on him, there was no other option but to remain fixed solely in its power.

"Why have you brought me here?" he demanded, emboldened by the strength he heard in his own voice. He was not going to appear afraid in the faceplate of a disembodied voice, regardless of how powerful it was.

_**YOU CAME TO ME.**_

"You gave me no choice."

_**YOU CAME OF YOUR OWN FREE WILL. YOU WERE DRAWN TO ME. **_

Megatron scowled, tracking the churning darkness with blazing optics. He was a speck compared to the vastness of the darkness, and yet he felt powerful facing it down. He was finally faceplate-to-faceplate with the monster that had haunted him as a youngling. He was not a youngling anymore; he was more than capable to facing his fears. There was no way he was backing down.

"What do you want from me?" he demanded.

_**YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CALLED TO ME.**_

Megatron recoiled, snarling. "I never called on you. I never even knew you existed until now."

_**LIAR. **_

Disembodied optics glared down with undisguised malevolent humour. It could see straight through to Megatron's core and beyond. There was no lying to it; it knew him better than he knew himself. He had always known the monster was real, he just never wanted to admit to himself who the monster was. That would have made it too real.

Felt, more than seen, ice cold tendrils of sensation crept along Megatron's frame, reaching around him, under his plating, and dragged him closer. He was brought into the very center of the storm, where the power was the deepest, the pressure crushing. It was like being in the eye of a planet-sized storm, energy arcing invisibly, winds howling soundlessly. The attention of an unfathomable body of evil fixated solely on him.

_**YOU WANT SOMETHING FROM ME. **_

"I would never want anything from you."

Poisonous intention hung in space like a miasma. Silent laughter reverberated through negative space.

_**ARE YOU SURE? **_

And suddenly little claws of ice were in his processor, latching on to memories, and dragging them up. He tried to draw away, horrified by the violation, but the power that held him was too strong. Before his optics, he saw himself as a youngling, Meta- a gentle thing of soft off-white plating, discharged from the Youth Sector for the orn only to himself running through the corridors of Iacon's High Spires alone. Sentinel Prime was seeing to his duties, and Megatron was smart enough even at that age to escape from the Guardian sent to watch over him. He tried to find the archives to play with Orion Pax, but got lost along the way. He found himself alone, alone, alone. Except for the one who watched him. It did not matter how fast he ran or how well he hid, the monster that followed him made sure he was never alone.

"You never did me any favours by following me." He was loath to admit he never liked being alone; even monsters were better company than loneliness. He needn't say anything for Unicron to know.

Orion Pax had been the soft sort. He always tried for the diplomatic approach, which failed more times than actually succeeding when compared to better methods. Strength had always shown better results. Meta had known that then, and when he became Megatron, he knew the lesson well by spark. He watched as his brother Orion Pax graduated from his long apprenticeship to Prime, still soft-sparked in all his ways. He knew Cybertron would be in trouble if his brother was left to lead alone. The planet would fall if left solely to Optimus Prime. He needed someone to help him. Optimus _needed_ Megatron. He worked through the Autobot ranks for eons to finally be acknowledged as the High Lord Protector; he was the strength that Cybertron needed. He worked so hard to become the mech his brother needed.

Optimus was still Optimus, though- Prime or not, he had a soft spark. Smart, yes, in some ways, but his love for his people blinded him to what was best sometimes. When it came to their planet, he did what was best for the ailing individuals that came kneeling at his feet because his spark went out to their plights, not what was best for their people as a whole. It was up to Megatron, as always, to fish his brother out of the problems of a few and make him focus on the issues as a whole.

It was _annoying_, at times. He was Lord Protector, not a Caretaker.

What Cybertron needed was someone stronger to lead them, someone like–

"No-! No, you're twisting my thoughts. Optimus is an excellent Prime!"

He was weak, though. Too kind, even to those who were undeserving. Poorer planets who needed a trading partners; lower life forms like organics who thought it possible to mingle freely with Cybertronians as if they were equals. Optimus allowed all of that. He encouraged it- called it progress. It was a drain on resources; their time and efforts should have been put towards something more profitable for their own kind, like settling more colonies, finding planets to harvest much needed energy from. He wasted his privileges to the Allspark on making Creators' snivelling dreams come true instead of creating more Autobots to protect their planet. Military research funds were reallocated to the exploration of arts, philosophy, and other useless slag. Optimus didn't know what was best for Cybertron.

**_HE'S A FOOL._**

"I love my brother."

_**THAT DOESN'T STOP HIM FROM BEING WEAK. **_

True. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he knew love wasn't enough to make up for what Optimus lacked.

What Megatron needed was power to show Optimus the error of his ways. He just needed to show his brother that he was wrong; there were better ways to do things. He needed the power to help Cybertron rise to the potential he knew it was capable of!

_**I CAN GIVE YOU THE POWER. I CAN GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT AND MORE. **_

Tempting. So very tempting. But that didn't change the fact of where the power was coming from. Even if the old legends were more real that myth now, that didn't change who or what Unicron was. He was the Unmaker. No good could ever come of him.

"Cybertron and Optimus are _mine_. I will protect them as I see fit."

The touch of glacial claws against the burning innards of his frame made him rear back, snarling. He was left sensitive, hollowed out. A war of raging wills stormed within and without him; his will against the will of someone far greater than he.

_**YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH. **_

Those terrible poisoned thoughts showed him what was to come; the future of his planet, if nothing was done to change Optimus's rule. It would become a desolate place without Megatron's proper leadership. The cities would rust and fall; Cybertron's people would eventually die out. It would not happen tomorrow, or the next orn, but sometime in the future the planet would die. They held so much potential! They were a powerful species, nigh-immortal, capable of the most amazing kinds of transformations, and they would die out if Megatron did nothing to save them from themselves.

Perhaps... perhaps if he took the power being offered, he could do good with it. He was strong- stronger than any other. His will was greater than his brother's; he was strong enough to control it.

And suddenly there were hands scrabbling at his shoulders, trying to wrench him out of the storm. Starscream's voice was a mere panicked hiss in his audios.

"Megatron, don't! Whatever you are planning, it isn't worth it! Please, listen to me- we can still get out of here if we leave now-!"

Oh no, there was no leaving now. Not when he was so deeply entrenched in the clutches of the beast. All his life he had sought the power, and now that it was within his grasp...

"I need it." He faced the formless void, offering himself to it. "Give me what I want. Make me strong."

At his command, a roar rose up from the very cracks in reality. The meteor field that had been on fire snuffed out; the broken ships crumbled; the dead planets disintegrated to ash. On its own accord, the seal to his chest hatch hissed open, unfolding to expose his spark to the swirling storm. As his heated, opened chassis touched the frigid caress of space, it felt like an electric current to an open wound. He howled, recoiled. Starscream shrieked as a bolt of energy lashed out, striking them both; it was pure malicious power, sinking into them, biting like the beast it was. The single touch was too much for the Seeker, throwing him away once more.

The exquisiteness was beautiful; harsh and untamed. It was more than the touch of a lover as it concentrated, solidified, filled Megatron to the brim. It was burning and glacial at the same time, leaving him completed and yet hollowed out. He was twisting on the inside, pumps and energon lines coming to life and shifting, making room for the new power that was coming to reside. One by one, the stars came back into focus as the darkness left the vastness of space, sucked away into the core of its new host. A dark, dark core.

In utter silence, Megatron closed his chassis. He hung motionlessly for a while, feeling the new rush that pulsed through his energon lines. Never had he dreamed to feel something so... So _immense_. It was power incarnate. It was _his_.

Starscream gathered himself, shaking his head. Something was different, that much he could tell. Something had _changed_. The negative charge of the region was gone, antimatter dispersing. But it was within him that had twisted. His gaze dragged to Megatron, and an irrational lash of anger seared through him. That fool was just hanging there, doing nothing. He didn't deserve the power Unicron gave him.

"Megatron!"

A faint flash crossed the mech's faceplate, his optics shifting from shining blue to a deep, smouldering red. "You will address me as _Lord_ Megatron."

The look that crossed Starscream's faceplate was not a handsome one. "Of course, _my lord_. Are you quite done?" he hissed.

Satisfied to some degree, Megatron nodded, resuming his powerful jet alt mode. The smirk in his voice when he spoke was palpable, and not quite his own.

"I think it is time we return to Cybertron."

He was eager to see his _brother_ again. They had so much to catch up on.


End file.
